Raptor

Wednesday 10 October 2012, League Cup, Belfast Celtic v Saint Patrick's Athletic, Casement Park

In the safe knowledge that even a one-goal defeat would see them through, Celtic could've played a B-side in midweek, but Arena wanted to make as few changes as possible to keep the free flowing football going. Only Keith Andrews returned to the starting XI, re-taking the captain's armband in the process.

At half time, either side could've been in the lead by a couple of goals at least, but the interval came after a scoreless 45 mins. While Celtic were rather wasteful in front of goal, St.Pat's were denied even getting a shot in most of the time by as near a perfect defensive display from Celtic defender Joe Doyle. The 27-year-old was credited with no fewer than seven key tackles, preventing John Dodds from being called upon.

An equally strong performance in the second half won Doyle a 10/10 rating and the Man-of-the-Match award, but it wouldn't have meant much to him hadn't the home side's forwards made amends for their first half sloppiness. With just over an hour gone, Glen Keddy broke the deadlock after a less than perfectly executed attack, which left Pat Dolan's side in search of three goals in approximately 30 minutes. He did what he had to do and threw caution in the wind, leading to more goalscoring opportunities for the Belfast team. After the goal, they went back to spoiling good chances though, and in the 80th minute, Bruce Arena had had enough. David Healy was taken off for Gary Malone, and within a minute, the least popular player among his colleagues headed a thunderbolt past Gareth Kearney. It was his first touch of the ball too.

That secured the win on the night and a 100% record in Group 3, and would work through for the top-of-the-table clash between the same sides at the weekend.

Celtic 2 (Keddy 63, Malone 81)
St.Pat's 0
Attendance: 17,664

Raptor

On Friday, Stevie O'Mao found out why Frost had been quite pleased at the League Cup game. While O'Mao was in Edinburgh, ahead of Hearts' 2-1 win over Rangers which kept them top of the BPL on goal difference from Man Utd, his appointed Celtic chairman Johnson rang him from Dublin...

SO'M Marcus. What's up?

MJ Potential trouble, Frost got a foot behind Irish football's door today.

SO'M Did he get a job at the FAI?

MJ Worse. He's on the ILCA executive panel now.

SO'M Damn, didn't see that one coming. How did he manage that?

MJ The little b@stard has an excellent relationship with Shamrock, and they bypassed Bartley's veto by appointing Frost as their second man on the council.

SO'M Clever, and once in, he had enough backing to get on the executive panel right away then...

MJ Yeah, cos we made some decisions on what we want the new TV contract to look like. Gave the executive powers to negotiate any deal they could as long as it brings in at least the same amount as the current deal, but many ILCA members felt having Frost on the panel would increase the chance of a better deal after all.

SO'M Bet that was a blow for Bartley.

MJ He hated it, but couldn't block the move.

SO'M Yeah well, he hates everything. Including you.

MJ Like I care. I'm more worried about Frost now.

SO'M Don't be. Good for him to be involved again, but if anything, his alliance with Celtic's main title rivals might kill his reputation with the club's fans. I'll tell Anna to make sure she'll milk this to the max.

MJ Ooh, Anna. She can milk something else if she likes.

SO'M Don't even think about it Marcus.

Raptor

Saturday 13 October 2012, Premier Division, Saint Patrick's Athletic v Belfast Celtic, Richmond Park

Celtic's Cup involvement so far had left them behind St.Pat's in the League, but they had a couple of games in hand, and again met the Richmond Park side this Saturday, where it was 1st against 2nd.

Arena's instructions were clear: kill off the game in the first half, so he could rest his stars in the second, already thinking of Tuesday's game against Jan van Dijk's Feyenoord.

The good feeling from Wednesday's clash was indeed carried over to the weekend, and Joe Doyle, the outstanding player in midweek, came up to take a free kick which brought him his first goal of the season. He really was hitting top form at the right time.

Still a 1-0 half time lead wouldn't be enough to take the foot off the pedal after the break, and no one understood that better than Michael Foley Sheridan. He too rose to the occasion and grabbed his own first goal of the season on 43 minutes.

As Michael Keane and Glen Keddy were taken off at half time, Celtic also reverted to a patient waiting game, no pressing or sprinting forward anymore. They'd have to get used to that anyway, if a serious European breakthrough was to be achieved. For that to happen, the defence needed a little more coordination, as a late lapse in concentration cost them a clean sheet, but the win was never in danger.

Rovers too managed to win, although it took a penalty against ten men at bottom side Athlone, which left Celtic, Rovers and St.Pat's all on 19 points, with the latter having played a couple of games more.

St.Pat's 1 (R.White 90)
Celtic 2 (Doyle 13, Foley Sheridan 43)
Attendance: 6,979

retired_uzy

About damn time!

shannon2007

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by SonicAD:
About damn time!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

this thread was deleted. My thoughts exactly!!

BarryLFC

Seconded

Raptor

After the game, Frost met up with Keith Stuart...

MF You alright Keith?

KS Very much so. Had a good run on the stock market lately, and I think I found a nice way of re-investing it.

MF Have you?

KS Carlisle United FC.

MF Moving into football are we? Tired of being a journalist?

KS Don't have enough to buy the club outright! And I probably wouldn't want to give up this sports editor job anyway. I can get to any game I want to see now!

MF Don't you forget that. And don't forget I need you on my side to counter anything that bìtch Kournikova comes up with. I swear something's due any day now, Stevie wouldn't miss out on the chance to cement his position as Celtic's Saviour, "after the Frost clan betrayed the club".

KS I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't bother for a while. He'll probably save it for when Celtic hit a rough patch. Right now, he's got on-the-pitch propaganda going. God knows what happens if Celtic beat Feyenoord on Tuesday.

MF You may have a point there. Still, if they play it nasty through the media, you know which report to print in return...

Raptor

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Peacemaker7:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by SonicAD:
About damn time!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

this thread was deleted. My thoughts exactly!!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm so sorry to disappoint you, but this "republican propaganda" will now carry on into 2004 :p

Raptor

If a three-way tie at the top of the Premier Division looked close, the First Division was even worse. Limerick, Portadown, Bray and Dundalk all scored 15 points from their first nine games, and Derry were just a point behind. Bohs and Sligo too were within a win from top spot, in the most open start to the season the lower of the two divisions ever had. There were some class games as well, with many teams looking worthy of a place in the top flight they so desperately craved. Yet Sunday's round of games attracted very little media coverage, as the event just over 48 hours later nicked it all.

An Irish team virtually able to seal their place in the second round of the Champions' League was unheard of. But should Celtic beat Feyenoord, and their Glaswegian namesakes get the better of Nantes, they'd be five points ahead of third place with just two games to go. Having won in Rotterdam a few weeks earlier, home advantage, and their position at the top of the group, made Celtic favourites in big European game for the first time. How would the squad cope?

[This message was edited by Raptor on 12 August 2003 at 06:52.]

Raptor

Tuesday 16 October 2012, European Cup, 1st Group Stage, Belfast Celtic v Feyenoord, Casement Park

An unchanged Celtic came out with all guns blazing. They were all over Feyenoord from the moment the visitors kicked off, and the 27,000 inside Casement Park (it would've been a 30k full house but for an overly picky UEFA official who demanded a small part of the ground was closed for not meeting Zurich's standards) knew an early goal was on the cards.

Michael Keane, back to his very best after last season's neverending run of injuries, sent a swerving cross in from the right wing and saw Glen Keddy's forehead reach it before Cor Varkevisser in the Feyenoord goal could. A fraction of a second later, the green & white legion were on their feet, dancing, shouting, screaming like their club had won the European Cup itself already!

They thought this was their night, and by the 34th minute, Feyenoord seemed to agree. A low drive by Foley Sheridan, thriving in the support role behind the strikers, found the back of the net, and at 2-0, the Celtic team tried to convince the world they had Brazilian genes in them. An overwhelmed Dutch side couldn't prevent Keddy from putting the game beyond them just after the break, and though Leonardo grabbed a late consolation goal after the Irish champions had brought Morton, Burns and Scholes on to protect their lead in the final quarter of an hour, Celtic's win was never threatened.

At the same time, Glasgow Celtic had overcome a 1-0 half time deficit at La Beaujoire to win 4-1, which at the very least guaranteed the Belfast side a UEFA Cup ticket. With a home game against Nantes next, that outcome would be a disappointment now though.

Celtic 3 (Keddy 11, 49, Foley Sheridan 34)
Feyenoord 1 (Leonardo 84)
Attendance: 26,991